The streetlight is currently being used to brighten the gloomy areas of the street as the day comes to an end and the sky gets darker and darker. The stores used bright lights to draw attention to their store names, which were apparent to the naked eye. There were few people walking along the street, and the lights from the cars served to enhance the scene. The city appears even more stunning at night, with all of the lights.
"It is glamorous, isn't it?" Charles said while looking at the magnificent view of the city from where they were seated.
"I didn't know our city could be this calm, seems like there's no crime going around." Gabriella replied. Indeed, you wouldn't think there were crimes going around the city with how calm it looks.
Not long after, they both decided to go home since it is getting darker and Gabriella's mother has probably been looking for her. They ride on the motorcycle once again with Charles in front and Gabriella behind him. Charles didn't dare drive his motorcycle inside their village as Gabriella asked her to stop just when they were still around the corner.
"I'll see you tomorrow." Gabriella said after she got off of Charles motorcycle. She then handed the helmet she used to Charles. Charles took it and hangs on the handle of his motorcycle before getting off of too.
"Let's go." Charles said as he stands beside Gabriella. Since his motorcycle was parked far from the road where vehicles pass through, he calmly decided to walk with Gabriella until she arrived in front of their house. Gabriella was taken aback by what he did but she didn't contradict him. They started walking beside each other in silence. And since Gabriella's house was just five houses away from the gate of their village it only took them less than five minutes before arriving in front of their gate.
Gabriella turned her head to Charles feeling quite disappointed as their time together will soon come to an end. Their eyes met that made Gabriella smiled like an idiot. As always she felt like a thousand butterflies flew out of her stomach.
"I had a nice day today, thanks to you." Gabriella said while smiling from ear to ear as she felt something tickling inside her.
"If you wish to have fun again just say it, I'll make sure you'll have some fun." Charles said with a gentle smile on his lips. Gabriella felt thrilled and wanted to scream her lungs out but she still pretend as if it is just a normal thing to hear and tries to act normal.
"If the fun you're saying is being with you then I will literally have fun no matter what." Gabriella jokingly replied and laughs while Charles laughs along with her in a soft voice. Charles' laughs was so hot that Gabriella just couldn't take it so her cough a little.
"Good night." Charles said with a small smile on his lips. Gabriella felt her hearts beat a little faster. For her, hearing 'good night' from Charles with his small smile that could cause a heart attack was the nicest thing to end her day.
"Good night." Gabriella said before walking inside their house. Charles was just watching until she approaches their gate, she turned her head again and wave her hands before going inside. When Charles saw her entered their house he turn his gaze to the road and started walking on his way home.
Gabriella walks inside their house as if she was floating along with the clouds, she was smiling from ear to ear while humming happily. Before she goes up to her room, she decided to enter their kitchen to drink some water. She was swaying her body as she open their fridge and took the pitcher of water and a mug. After she was done drinking, she put the pitcher of water back to the fridge and washes the mug she used before going out of the kitchen.
"Gabriella Leonor." She was about to climb their stairs when a strict voice suddenly echoed in their entire living room. She felt intimidated and choked on her saliva, she felt shiver down her spine as she slowly turned her head to where the voice came from. When she saw the woman in her mid-forties wearing a color nude nightgown with her hair loose, she felt as if all her blood was sucked out of her body and turned pale.
"M-mom." Gabriella's voice started cracking and when she got to peek into her mother's expression she immediately lowered her eyes.
"Who were you with earlier?" Her mother asked, she was seated on a single sofa on their living while her hands were holding an open magazine, seems like she was reading it earlier. Gabriella's mother has been staying in their house since her husband, Gabriella's father, died. She would just go out if her Amiga's have an important event she must attend or some event she is badly needed, but normally she would just read books, cleaning their garden or their house, and try cooking new dishes. Unlike before, she would always be seen with her Amiga's just chatting around or shopping on the mall.
"He is my friend, mom." Gabriella answers while her knees were already trembling in nervousness. Her mom made an expression after hearing her answer and turns her gaze to the magazine she was reading.
"I wonder what kind of friend he was to you that he took you home this late." Her mom sarcastically said. She felt a little hurt by how her mother could have that assumption of her, as if going home this late with a guy was her hobby that it gave an impression to her mother.
"He is just a friend, mom." Gabriella repeated still with a respectful tone not trying to anger her mom. Her eyes heated, and she could feel tears threatening to fall from her eyes, she tried to hold them back, not wanting her mother to see her cry as she is afraid of being judge for how emotionally weak she is. She is so tired of being labelled immature just because of feeling sad as though her feeling were not valid.
"If you say so." Her mother said and closes the magazine she was holding before standing up and walking towards Gabriella. She gently held Gabriella's cheeks and raises her head. "But I hope you are not forgetting your priorities, my darling." Her mom added before walking away.
Gabriella and her mom are not that close since her mom favours her brother more than her, but it does not mean that their relationship as a mother and daughter has problems, it is actually fine. And ever since her father died, her mother changed big time. Her mother does not talk to her like how she used to be when her father was still alive. She also has a lot to say in everything Gabriella does as though she's always waiting for Gabriella to make mistakes. While on the other hand, Gabriella thought it was her coping mechanism so she just let her be, but sometimes it is getting too harsh already.
After Gabriella was left alone on their living room, her tears started to drip like a waterfalls. She stayed there for a second before wiping her eyes and going up her room. She immediately washes her body and change into a royal blue nightgown. She tied her hair up and sat in front her study table. She started going through her notes to check whether she has pending works. And in her horror, she found a lot.
She doesn't have time to cry about her previous conversation she had with her anymore as her school works were piled up. She wanted to scream at herself about how she tried to forget about her priorities when she was with Charles but the thought that she enjoys it stops her. She cannot turn back time anymore to change her decision in staying with Charles under the narra tree until the sun sets so she just started working on her piled up school works.
Even though her eyelids were starting to fall and her back was starting to hurt, she didn't stop working on her task until she was finish. She literally stayed up all night finishing those entire tasks. She finishes her work almost one o'clock in the morning and as soon as she cleans up all the papers on her study table, she let her body fall on her bed.
The next day, Gabriella woke up late. She was running as fast as she could towards the gate of their village with her bag hanging on her left shoulder and her arms hugging her books. When she got out of the gate, she was shocked when a motorcycle suddenly honked on her.
"Hop in." Charles said and handed her the helmet. Charles took Gabriella's bag and books and placed it on the seat of his motorcycle to help Gabriella wear the helmet. When they were done, they both hop in the motorcycle. Charles drives his motor as fast as he could as he was well aware how late they are already.
After a few minutes, they finally arrived in their campus. Gabriella immediately got off the motorcycle when it stops and takes the helmet off of her head then handed it to Charles. She was about to run towards her homeroom when Charles suddenly held her arm so she turn her head to look at him.
"Have this." Charles said as he extended his left hand which is holding a bottle of strawberry juice. Gabriella took it with a smile.
"Thank you." Gabriella replied while her cheeks were starting to blush.
"You're welcome, go now." Charles said so Gabriella started running towards her first class.
When Gabriella arrived in her class, the discussion was already starting. Luckily the lecturer was not a terror so she was not punished and the lecturer even let her in without asking further question as they don't want the discussion to be interrupted.
Gabriella's friends were just looking at her while she walks towards her seat. She could see in their expression that they have something they wanted to ask her but stops themselves because they were in the middle of discussion. After a few more discussion and quiz, their first subject ended and since there were a sudden meeting, their next lecturer was unable to meet them.
"Jonas has been telling us shits this morning, what was the meaning of those?" Vanessa asked as soon as she approaches Gabriella. Gabriella's heart beat a little faster, she suddenly feels nervous and she doesn't know why.
"I don't know, what is he telling you guys?" Gabriella asked in confusion, but Vanessa was unable to answer her because their next lecturer suddenly came. While their lecturer was discussing their lesson in front, Gabriella's mind was flying around. She was thinking what Jonas could be spitting early in the morning.
Their morning class soon comes to an end without Gabriella noticing. They all walk the hallway to the cafeteria. Gabriella was not able to bring up the conversation she had with her friends previously as they were all busy talking about a school project. She was walking behind Vanessa with Olivia beside her. While her friends were busy discussing, she was juts silent in the corner still thinking about their previous conversation.
"What the fuck dude?" They were all walking down the stairs when a familiar voice suddenly echoed in the entire hallway on the first floor. They could hear it clearly as the guy who owns the voice was just standing near the stairs. Vanessa and Olivia stopped and tried to peek on the first floor of the building were they hear the voice came from.
"Jonas, it's Jonas." Vanessa whispered as she turned her head with a shock expression on her face while aggressively pointing her fingers downward, so Gabriella and Chloe tried to peek too.
Gabriella was shock to see Jonas standing on the corner while furiously holding Charles' collar. It's lunch time that time so students are probably out enjoying their break time far from the building.
"Are you only using Gabriella as a substitute for your ex-girlfriend?" Jonas suddenly asked while Charles just looks at him expressionless. Gabriella felt annoyed by how Jonas asked him such question, she wanted to walk down the stairs and stop Jonas but she restraint herself as she wanted to witness more. Jonas let go of Charles collar and struck Charles with deadly stares.
"First, you offer her drinks your ex-girlfriend likes and now you bought her to the place where you always bought you ex." Jonas added. Gabriella knew it was her they were talking about, she felt coldness on her whole body as though a bucket of ice was poured on her. Her heart ached as if it had been pierced by a million blades.
"You don't care." Charles said with a straight face that made Gabriella's heart ache even more.